Turkey: 670 PKK rebels killed since 2007

BAGHDAD, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Turkish military reports suggest nearly 700 members of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, were killed in operations since the beginning of 2007.

The Turkish General Staff, the overseer of the armed forces, reported 670 killed, 214 captured and 165 surrendered since Dec. 10, the Turkish daily newspaper Hurriyet reported.

The numbers suggest 120 members of the separatist PKK movement used Turkish repentance laws to surrender to national security forces.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi news agency Voices of Iraq said Turkish warplanes hit PKK strongholds in northern Iraq though PKK had declared a unilateral cease-fire.

"Turkey has begun a massive shelling of our positions, but we will abide by what we said," said Ahmed Daneez, a spokesman for the group.

The PKK had declared a cease-fire Monday on the occasion of the Eid al-Adha holy celebrations in an effort to open negotiations with Ankara.

Several nations, including the United States, list the PKK as a terrorist entity for its militant activity in the region.